Entertainment Prank call from Stephen Hawking to Princess Diana

Broadcaster Victor Lewis-Smith is to release the full extraordinary 18-minute phone conversation between himself and Princess Diana when he chatted to her pretending to be Professor Stephen Hawking.

The hoax call that he made has never been heard in its entirety, because he censored it himself and stashed it in a safe for nearly 20 years.

In the recording from 1996, Lewis-Smith poses as celebrated astrophysicist Hawking using the same electronic voice technology as the professor.

The conversation includes banter about Prince Charles, Castro and Clinton, and Diana even uses the F-word.

When asked about ‘Wills’s’ welfare, she says: ‘Oh, he’s doing very well at Eton.’

The fake Hawking replies: ‘No. I meant Will Carling.’

Diana was alleged at the time to have had an affair with the England rugby captain.

The hoax began when Lewis-Smith called the Buckingham Palace switchboard posing as Hawking’s PR man, and was connected to Diana’s private secretary Patrick Jephson.

Jephson called back some days later and put Diana through.

‘I’m sure you’re very, very busy,’ says Lewis-Smith as the PR.

Diana replies: ‘I’m not, no, I’m just very sorry it’s taken so long for me to return the call.’

‘It’s very kind. I know that Professor Hawking and you have corresponded over the years and I know that he’d like to speak to you briefly, not to take up too much of your time. He’s actually off on his honeymoon very shortly.’